BEN TRE This year, the weather is hot and the salinity in the river is nearly 0.3‰, so the gardeners did not water for 4 consecutive days, but the organic durian trees still grew well.
Since 2020, the Son Dinh Durian Cooperative has been selected by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cho Lach district, Ben Tre province to implement an organic durian production model with a total area of 9.62 hectares, concentrated in Son Phung and Phung Chau hamlets, Son Dinh commune.
With determination and support from scientists, authorities, and local organizations, by the end of 2023, the model will be certified by FAO Certification and Testing Joint Stock Company for products that meet Vietnamese standards on organic agriculture.
Mr. Le Ngoc Son - Head of Son Dinh Durian Cooperative Group shared that before producing organically, the members had experience producing durian according to VietGAP standards, so it was easy to implement. Photo: Minh Dam.
Healthy tree, good resistance to drought and salinity
According to farmers, there are still some difficulties in converting from traditional production to organic production in the early stages. Specifically, output decreased by 20% while investment costs increased. In addition, growers must strictly follow organic farming processes, keep logbooks, use biological pesticides in the permitted list and ensure quarantine time when harvesting, not use toxic chemicals in flowering and fruit growing, and manage pests and diseases according to IPM.
Each crop, during the post-harvest care process, the amount of organic fertilizer used increased by 25% compared to the previous method, while the amount of inorganic fertilizer had to be reduced by nearly 50%. Currently, farmers use 100% organic fertilizer throughout the crop season. In addition, to reduce costs, members of the Cooperative Group also compost organic fertilizer from agricultural by-products to fertilize durian trees.
After a period of perseverance with the new method, durian productivity has completely recovered. The soil has become more fertile and porous. Mr. Le Ngoc Son - Head of the Son Dinh durian cooperative shared that before producing organically, the members had experience producing durian according to VietGAP standards. Thanks to that, when applying the new process, people were not surprised, and the techniques were applied skillfully.
“People have great confidence in the scientists' guidance, so the transition was very smooth, and no one gave up halfway,” said Mr. Son.
Organic fertilizer for durian. Photo: Minh Dam.
Since switching to organic production, not only Mr. Son but also members of the Cooperative Group have agreed that this model has many benefits. Firstly, it protects the health of those directly involved in the labor. Secondly, it protects the environment by not using chemicals, reducing waste from pesticide bottles, and the product is absolutely safe. Therefore, consumers feel secure when using the product.
“The soil is more porous, so it retains moisture better, the durian trees are healthier, and have better resistance. Like this year's saltwater intrusion, when it was hot, the salinity in the river was nearly 0.3‰, so I didn't water the trees for 4 consecutive days, but the trees were still normal,” Mr. Son affirmed.
According to her general assessment, the important thing when producing organically is also to help increase the life of crops. This is the key point to create consensus among farmers, besides helping to reduce production costs, increase income, products meet food safety and hygiene, contributing to protecting the ecological environment. On the other hand, the model also creates links in production, synchronous transfer of science and technology, easy disease management, uniform products, large output.
Farmers are very supportive of organic durian production. Photo: Minh Dam.
To date, all 21 members of the Cooperative applying organic production have lush durian gardens with 100% efficiency. The average yield is 25 tons/ha (for the off-season crop) and 35 tons/ha (for the summer-autumn crop). In 2023 alone, 15 member households implementing the organic durian production model achieved an income of over 1 billion VND/ha. The remaining households achieved the lowest of 300 million VND/year due to the small cultivation area and young age of the trees, so the yield is not high.
“There are households with incomes of over 3 billion VND/ha. According to the process achieved last year, all members agreed to maintain and sustain this model at all costs. To achieve this, members of the Cooperative and surrounding people all understand the value of organic farming,” said Mr. Le Ngoc Son - Head of the Son Dinh Durian Cooperative.
Price 10 - 15% higher than market
For products that have been certified organic by the Son Dinh Durian Cooperative, there are currently businesses in the area that have signed contracts committing to purchase at prices 10-15% higher than the market price.
Organic durian yield in the off-season is 2.5 tons/hectare, in the off-season is 3.5 tons/hectare. Photo: Minh Dam.
In the coming time, people have proposed to expand this model. Mr. Nguyen Huu Long, a member of the Son Dinh Durian Cooperative, shared: "Now we produce according to green agriculture, it is necessary to do organic model for sustainable agriculture. I hope the local government will support to expand the model, introduce businesses to purchase products stably and long-term."
More than 3 years since its launch, the Farmers' Association of Son Dinh commune, together with local authorities and farmers' associations in hamlets, have selected pioneering households with aspirations to build the most effective model.
According to Ms. Trang Thi Hoai Thuong - Vice President of the Farmers' Association of Son Dinh Commune, this can be said to be the first certified organic durian growing area in Ben Tre Province. In the near future, the Association will coordinate to expand to all members in the remaining hamlets, aiming for the goal of durian meeting quality and safety standards, and being granted a growing area code for export.
According to the Organic Agriculture Development Project for the period 2022 - 2025, with a vision to 2030, Ben Tre aims to develop high-value, sustainable, environmentally friendly organic agriculture associated with a circular agricultural economy serving domestic consumption and export, making this locality a province with an organic production level equal to that of the region and the whole country.
Ms. Trang Thi Hoai Thuong - Vice President of Son Dinh Commune Farmers' Association visited the organic durian garden. Photo: Minh Dam.
Accordingly, by 2025, the area of agricultural land for organic production will reach 11 - 13% of the total area of agricultural land; the area of organic aquaculture will reach 1 - 2% of the total aquaculture area; the area of organic coconut production in the period of 2022 - 2025 will reach 20,000 hectares, by 2030 it will reach 30,000 hectares; the area of green-skinned grapefruit produced according to PGS organic standards in the period of 2022 - 2025 will reach 50 hectares, by 2030 it will reach 200 hectares.
In addition to the 9.62 hectares of durian that have just been certified organic, to date, the certified organic production area on coconut trees in Ben Tre is 12,883 hectares, green-skin grapefruit is 10 hectares, vegetables is 1.3 hectares, and rice is 100 hectares.
The first certified organic durian model of Ben Tre province will motivate farmers in localities in the province to continue expanding the area, contributing to the successful implementation of the province's organic agriculture development project.
Mr. Vo Tien Si - Deputy Director of Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that in the coming time, the province's agricultural sector will focus on developing green agriculture and circular agriculture to create momentum for innovation and improve labor productivity, contributing to promoting green growth associated with economic restructuring, renewing the growth model towards increasing efficiency for sustainable environmental development, towards a green economy.
Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/sau-rieng-huu-co-xanh-tot-giua-han-man-khoc-liet-d389564.html
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